Italian routes: 150 thousand travellers, mostly women. Here are the itineraries

Listen to the audio version of the article

The paths of Italy are growing and the number of travelers who choose this experience between pilgrimage and spiritual and sustainable tourism is increasing, a holiday appreciated in particular by women (walkers are now the majority). Confirmation of the trend that has been ongoing for some time comes for 2023 from Italy, Country of Cammini, dossier of Lands of half a publisher now in its seventh edition: last year the “testimoniums” distributed (certificates awarded to those who complete a journey or cover it on foot for the last 100 km) were 57.600with an increase of 75% compared to 2022. Furthermore, for the first time, the credentials (the “pilgrim passports”) delivered to walkers exceeded the symbolic quota of 100 thousand (101.419+24.5% on 2022).

However, considering that a part of tourists travel without credentials, it is estimated that at least 148mila people will set out in 2023 (+20.3%). Other numbers give the idea of ​​a growing tourist market: at least 1.35 million overnight stays and a daily expense which, in a fifth of cases, reaches 50 euros.

Tourism, Spain ready to repeat the record of Italian presences in 2024

The growing paths

In the dossier that is presented today at the Fiera dei Grandi Cammini at “Do the right thing!”, an event on critical consumption and sustainable lifestyles taking place in Milan until March 24, it is underlined that we are faced with a phenomenon twofold: alongside the growth of walkers, there is the multiplication of paths in Italy. Those who record data are 92 Walks: in 2017 there were just six people handing out credentials.

Among the routes to gain popularity (both in terms of credentials and testimonium) are that of Oropa, the Matera, the San Benedetto, the San Jacopo in Tuscany, the Mining Route of Santa Barbara (Sardinia), the Vie del Viandante, the Vie Francigene of Sicily. The Via Francigena is stable and the Via degli Dei is decreasing.

The identikit of the walker

Who are the people who crossed Italy along the paths? From the questionnaire created by Terre di mezzo and inserted (2,427 people), it can be said that women are more numerous (57%) than men (43%), a situation reversed compared to five years ago when the female share was 47%.